Opening and closing device for garage doors



March 29, 1932. J. STURM OPENING AND CLOSING DEVICE FOR GARAGE DOORSFiled Dec. 6, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR u Jusf/n Jfurm BY i aATTORNEY March 29, 1932. J.. STURM OPENING AND CLOSING DEVICE FOR GARAGEDOORS Filed Dec. 6, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 29,1932 JUSTIN ST'URM, F WESTFOB'I; CONNECTTCUT OPENING AND CLOSINGDEVICEFOR 'GA'RAGE'DOORS" Application filed. December a, 1929.Seria1-No. 412,-167.

The object of the present invention is to provide simple and efiectivemeans for opening and closing garage doors through the propelling forceof the automobile as it a proaches the garage, and after it leaves t elatter.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view of an em- I' bodimentof the invention, and

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a view in sectional elevation of the carriage, trackway andassociated elements;

Fig. 1 is a sectional end elevation of the same;

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view of the carriage, trackway and associatedelements, section being taken on the line 5-5, Fig. 3

:n Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view of a garage structure showing'one ofthe hinged garage doors, and a fragment of the second door, illustratingthe cable connections; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical section on the line 7-7, Fig. 6.

The device operates on the principle of an endless cable and twocarriages, one exterior the garage, and one within the garage. Thecarriages are connected to the cable in such manner that the movement ofone carriage,

through contact by and power of the automobile as it approaches thegarage doors, will actuate the cable to open the doors. This actuationof the cable will move the second carriage within the garage to suchpositlon that when the automobile contact element meets the innercarriage, and propels it a reverse movement will be given to the cableto close the doors. The construction is such that the automobile propelsthe carriage to a final point, and then the contact member of theautomobile is enabled to slip past the carriage. When the automobile isbacked out of the garrage, the contact member will act upon the carriageagain to actuate the cable in such manner that the doors are opened.

Also, when the automobile has leftthe garage,

the contact member will meet the outer carriage and propel it to closethe garage doors.

In the schematic view, Fig. 1, the outer carriage is-indicated at 1, andthe inner carriage at 2. v The endless cable has anouterlead a, and aninnerlead b. The inner-lead Z) is secured to thecarriage 1 at thepoint140,

being first 'ledover a fixed pulley am, and the outer lead ais securedto the carriage 1 at The cable leads, a andb, may be led over theidlerpulleys 3, 3a": and 4, 4a. The inner cable lead Z) is connected tocarriage 2 at am, and theoutercable lead-a is connected to carriage 2 at27009, being first led over a'fiiied A pulley 5. led over idlerpulleys6, 6m and 7,7

To inner cable lead 5 is spliced a cableextension Sled over a guidepulley-9. At the end of cable-extension 8 is a pulley 10 entering theloop of door-operating cable-extension 12, the latter being led over afixed pulley 13, over a secondfixed pulley 1 1-, and thence extending.tothe end of'an arcuate chann el-iron lever '15, the connection betweencable extension 12, and the lever being indicated at The arcuatedoor-operating lever fixed upon garage door 1G,"pref erably near the topthereof? Door-operating cable-extension 12 has spliced thereto: anextension 1203, which is led over fixed pulley 17, and is connectedtothe end of-an arcuate channel iron door operati'nglever 18, fixed tothe second door 19. Both doors are hinged at 20.

To door 16 is secured a door-operating cable-extension 21, led over afiXed-pulley22, and formed-with a loop which passes around a pulley 220;secured to the end of cable extension 23. Cable extension 28 passes overa fixed pulley 2 1, and is spliced at to outer cable extension a.

Cable-extension 21 has spliced thereto a cable-extension 26, which issecured to garage door 19.

hen the automobile is approaching the garage and meets carriage 1, thefront bumper, front an e or other element of the car, selected forContact with the carriage, will propel the carriage longitudinally ofits traclrway. The carriage and trackway are shown in detail in Figs. 3,1 and 5. In the embodiment of those figures, the carriage con- The cablereads, a and b, may-be sists of a frame having vertically disposed arms27 connected by horizontal bars 28, 2800, the bar 28 carrying rollers 29for contact with a trackway comprising the spaced rails 30, 3002. Therails 3000 at their ends are connected to the end members 31. Therollers carried by lower bar 28, andindicated at 82 engage the lowerhorizontal faces of the trackway members for guiding purposes.

Supported by arms 27, is a guide rod 33 which rod projects through apassage way 34:10 formed in a post 34, the latter being pivoted at 35upon a supporting block 36, secured to the carriage. At each side of thecontact post is a coiled spring, the two springs being indicated at 37,37:0. Sleeves such as 38 may be interposed between the springs and therod 33, the sleeves being short, however, relatively to the length ofthe rod. The inertia of each spring will be somewhat greater than theinertia of the load which the carriage is required to carry in openingand closing the garage doors.

The trackway at its left hand end has pivotally mounted thereon fixedpulley are, and at its opposite end, the track way may carry pulley 400.The inner cable lead I) is led over pulley am, and secured to thecarriage at 1%.

Having 7 described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is as follows:

A door-opening and closing mechanism comprising a carriage, a supportingmeans on the carriage, opposed springs carried by the supporting means,a contact member pivotally mounted on the carriage and engaged atopposite sides by said springs, a second carriage and a second trackway,cable connections between the carriages whereby the movement of onecarriage will eifect a movement of the second carriage and cableconnections adapted to be disposed entirely laterally of and alsoapproximately at the top of a door and adapted upon movement of onecarriage in a given direction, to open the door and movement of thesecond carriage in the same direction to close the door.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JUSTIN STURM.

